False Positive
by Kendarrr
Summary: Quinn receives a phone call from Santana thinking it was a booty call. It wasn't. It was about Rachel and her possible pregnancy.
1. 1

AN: If you follow me on tumblr, you'd know about this fic. You've probably read it before. I just thought it would be nice to use my account once in a while.

* * *

Bright mornings in New Haven were fairly common, and Quinn was enjoying the warm streaks of sunlight illuminating her golden locks. Trees rustled with the wind, the faint scent of springtime wafted through the boughs as Quinn walked along the gravel path. With her cappuccino in hand, and a spring in her step, she was about to head to the library to have a quick review for her impeding midterm when her phone vibrated in her pocket.

"Look, Santana. I know you had fun as much as I did at Mr. Schue's failed wedding, but-"

"Bitch, I'm not calling about that." Through the phone, Santana sounded testy, and it gave Quinn pause. "I'm not calling about me. It's… God damn it, Quinn. It's Rachel."

Luckily, her cappuccino cup had been drained a few minutes prior, or else the coffee would have spilled all over her hand, burning her skin. "What about her, Santana?" Quinn asked, forcing a steady tone out of her. In reality, Quinn's heart rate sped up, and her ears rang with all the possibilities. "Is she hurt? Sick? For the love of god, Santana. Answer me!"

"Quinn… She might be pregnant."

Quinn stood in the middle of the campus, her phone held up to her ear in one hand, a crushed Starbucks cup in the other. It couldn't be. Rachel couldn't be that stupid. Quinn took a deep breath. "Is she okay?"

"Hell no." Santana's voice lowered, and Quinn imagined that Rachel must be close by. "She was panicking a few minutes ago and I barely managed to get her breathing right. Look, I'm not asking you to drop everything and ride the train for god knows how long just to help me with her. But Quinn, she needs someone."

Quinn heard the undertones of Santana's sentence. Rachel needed someone… who knew just how it felt, experiencing the terror of an unplanned pregnancy alone, especially away from her parents. Quinn tossed her coffee cup into the trash and walked like a woman in a mission, back to her dormitory. "Give me a few hours and I'll be there."

* * *

In three hours, Quinn found herself with an overnight bag, standing in front of Rachel's, Kurt's, and Santana's New York apartment in Bushwick. She knocked on the door, only to be opened immediately by Santana who yanked her inside. "Oh thank god. She started having a panic attack again and I tried to talk her into calming down but she won't listen—"

Quinn gently pushed Santana out of the way and followed the symphony of sobs and sniffles. It led her to the bathroom. The sight of Rachel, sitting on the tiled floor, her hair a frenzied mess, crumpled wads of tissues, and…

Pregnancy tests, scattered all over the floor around Rachel, who was sobbing into her drenched shirt. Quinn bit her lip, dropped her bag somewhere and crouched down beside Rachel. "Hey."

It was as if Rachel was ripped from her reverie, as if the sound of Quinn's voice was enough to calm her down. "Q-Quinn, what are you—" Her eyes darted to Santana. "She told you, didn't she?" Rachel's voice cracked, and a tear escaped her eyelids. "She told you t-that I'm p-p-p—"

"Shh," Quinn sat down, amidst the pile of tissues and boxes of pregnancy tests. She wrapped an arm around Rachel's trembling shoulders and rubbed small circles on the centre of her back. "I want you to breathe with me, okay? In…" She took a deep breath, followed by Rachel, whose body was wracked with sobs. "Out…" They released in unison, repeating the process until Rachel was calm again. "Can you stand up?"

Rachel nodded and together, they left the bathroom and walked into the living room where Santana was sitting, nibbling on her thumb. At the sight of the two girls, she stood up and helped Rachel on the couch. They sat there, Rachel sandwiched between the two women, while Quinn ran her fingers through her dark hair. "Rachel, I need you to answer me." Quinn murmured, afraid that if she raised her voice, Rachel would curl into a defense. Noticing her small nod, Quinn asked: "Have you had unprotected sex recently?"

Rachel shook her head and Quinn sighed in relief. "Are you on birth control?" Rachel shook her head again, no.

"Well, condoms aren't one hundred percent efficient." Santana said.

"I know." Rachel sobbed, hugging a pillow to her face, muffling her voice. "I don't know what to do. I'm only a freshman in NYADA, and I can't do this. If I tell Brody, he's going to freak out and leave me—"

Quinn squeezed Rachel's shoulder. "Calm down. It might be just a false positive. Maybe you're so stressed out about the wedding and school that your cycle messed up. I know the box says the pregnancy tests are efficient but we'll wait until we go to a doctor."

"Yeah, but they can't really test her until since it's too soon to know, right?"

Quinn nodded. "More or less. But let's worry about that later. You look like you haven't slept." She told Rachel, who nodded.

"I haven't slept for at least a week. I can't."

"You have to. I'm going to make you some tea." Quinn squeezed Rachel's hand and went to the kitchen, where she started the kettle and looked through the cupboards for their stash of tea. Santana came up behind her and pointed to the cupboard right above the sink. "Thanks."

Santana sat on the counter and crossed her arms. "Now do you believe me when I say it's not an interstate booty call? Even though yes, I have to admit. You had some moves, Fabray."

Quinn laughed and poured the boiling water into the mug. "Of course I do. Why did you call me though? Other than the obvious fact that I went through this four years ago. Why me?" She turned to Santana with a small smirk tugging at her lips. "Or is this actually an interstate booty call?"

A loud crash of a door slamming in its frame tore Quinn and Santana from their reverie. "What the hell? Rachel's gone into her room."

Quinn went up to the whitewashed door and rapped against it. "Rachel? Open up, I have your tea."

"No! I'm in the way between you and Santana. You can… Go ahead and u-use the couch. I promise I won't listen."

"What the hell are you talking about, smu—Rachel?" Santana sighed, leaning against the wall.

"The booty call!"

"Oh Jesus." Quinn thumped her forehead against the door. "Rachel, that was a joke. Open the door and I'll explain."

"No!"

Quinn tried turning the knob but it was locked. "Please, Rachel. Little star—"

The door jerked open and a swollen-eyed, sniffling Rachel opened the door. "What did you call me?"

"…Rachel?" Quinn blinked, glancing at Santana who was smirking. "What _did_ I call you?"

"You called me little star…" Rachel said, her voice a gentle quiver against the back of her throat.

"It got you to open the door, didn't it?" Quinn joked, stepping in slowly, only to be shocked at what she saw. "Wow."

"I'm sorry about the mess," Rachel murmured weakly. Men's clothes were strewn all over the hardwood floors. Socks, dress shirts, and neck ties hung all over the furniture. "Brody's not usually so messy."

"Doesn't matter." Quinn said, swallowing down the bitter pill of Rachel's relationship status. She set the mug of tea down on the bedside and pulled back the covers so Rachel could sidle in. "There. Lay down, and I'll sit with you until you fall asleep."

"What if I can't?" Rachel whimpered, her head against the headboard, the duvet tucked over her lap. "Quinn, please don't leave."

"Then I'll stay here for as long as it takes." Quinn murmured, sitting down beside her as she blew on the steaming cup. "And who said anything about leaving?" Quinn asked, tucking the blankets around Rachel's lithe body. She smoothed her palm against Rachel's warm cheek. "I'll stay here with you until we find out the truth." Quinn's thumb caressed Rachel's cheekbone, and she swore Rachel leaned in to her touch. Just then, Santana walked in, dressed to go out.

"I have to leave soon for work." Santana said, sighing as she watched the two. "You'll be alright?"

Quinn hummed as she handed the slightly-cooled cup to Rachel. "I'll take care of her.

Santana nodded. "I know you will. I'll see if I can have a short shift today so I can be home early. Kurt's going to be late, and I don't know about the manwhore—"

"Brody's not a manwhore." Rachel mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah." Santana rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You go ahead and drink that tea I brewed for you. Sleep, Berry. You look like Frodo when he came back from Mordor." Santana patted Rachel's head and waved at Quinn, before disappearing out the door, leaving Quinn and Rachel alone in the apartment.

"Quinn?" Rachel asked after a small bout of silence. "Will you get in bed with me? T-to cuddle…"

A smile passed through Quinn's lips and she walked around the bed, to what she assumed to be Brody's side. She took off her jacket, hung it over a chair, and slipped in between the covers where Rachel automatically curled into a ball beside her. Quinn willed herself to take a deep breath, as her arm wrapped around Rachel's tiny shoulders. "Is that better?"

She felt Rachel nod against her, and Quinn eased into the bed with a sigh of contentment. "You finished drinking your tea?" Another nod. "Good girl."

They spent minutes in silence, but to Quinn, time was of no essence. Her fingers relished the silky strands of Rachel's hair, her head tucked between Quinn's chest and cheek, her breath, sticky and humid against Quinn's neck, came out even and deep.

"Quinn?" Rachel whispered, voice hitching as she spoke. "Will you… I mean, you don't have to, but it would probably help… Will you sing for me?"

Fingers ceased their strokes as Quinn contemplated a song to sing. "I can't think of a song right now. How about a poem?"

"A poem sounds delightful."

Quinn took a deep breath and picked up Rachel's hand that was slung across her stomach. She moved in slow, delicate moves so she wouldn't frighten Rachel. With Rachel's small fingers tucked between Quinn's slender ones, Quinn could feel the beginnings of a poem.

_"I do not ask for you to love me, nor do I ask for you to ignite my skin by grazing your eyes upon me." _Quinn whispered. _"I do not ask for you to say my name, nor do I ask for you to be the sugar in my tea."_

_"If I led multiple lives,"_ Quinn released Rachel's fingers, one by one, as she turned it palm side facing up. _"As a poet,"_ she traced Rachel's heart line. _"An architect,"_ The spirit line_. "A crime fighter,"_ The life line. _"A tree branch."_ The spirit line. _"You will be my words, my blueprints, my handcuffs, my splinter."_

Quinn could hear Rachel's breath hitching with every line she uttered, as her words expelled through her lips like butterflies bursting out of its cocoon. _"Already, you are all these things for me."_ Quinn murmured, the conviction in her words, thick like half-melted wax. _"Even though I am just a girl with a history of forgetting,.." _Quinn swallowed hard. _"How to breathe."_

For a few moments, only their synchronised breathing could be heard. Quinn's fingers, warm against Rachel's palm, tingled with the exorbitant relief of uttering poetry in Rachel's ear, while tucked in bed. It was the stuff Quinn's dreams were made out of, after all.

"Who wrote that?" Rachel asked, her hand closing around Quinn's to grasp her fingers tightly.

"I did."

Rachel's legs shifted beneath the duvet, her body turning until she was facing Quinn. Her sunlit eyes, bright from the tears she shed, did exactly what the poem asked her not to do. Quinn's skin felt warm, as she tried to hold Rachel's steady gaze. "Quinn…"

Quinn curled her arm around Rachel's shoulders and rubbed her arm. "You need to sleep, Rachel."

"Okay, but you can't leave." She murmured, her words slurring by the consonants.

"I won't, I promise. I'll be here when you wake up."

In the peaceful quiet of Rachel's bedroom, Quinn allowed herself to daydream. Her arm, numbed by Rachel's flushed weight, tingled like static. But she barely noticed. All she could really think about was the sleepy smell of lavenders, the proximity, the delight of having Rachel in her arms. Quinn closed her eyes for a minute, only to be jolted awake by the sound of the front door opening.

A man who Quinn assumed to be Brody burst into the bedroom and promptly began to strip. "God, class was long today." He complained, only to freeze at the sight of Rachel draped across Quinn. "Uh, what's going on? Is this a present for me or something?" Brody smirked and chucked his shirt somewhere in the room. "I can deal with that."

Quinn was unable to move due to Rachel's soft weight keeping her still, but Santana chose that moment to burst in. "Hold up, stripper with no name. This is not a set-up for a threesome." She glared at Brody and stood between him and the bed. "For your information, the last thing Rachel needs is you. So why don't you go and find a nudist colony to feel at home with?"

Brody gawked at Quinn, then at Santana. "Rachel, what's going on?"

"Shut the fuck up, she's sleeping." Quinn hissed, her hold on Rachel tightening by a fraction. "If you even cared for her as much as you should, you would notice that she hasn't been sleeping lately. For the first time in days, she stopped being a ticking time bomb. She needs to rest, and she can't if you're around—"

In Quinn's arms, Rachel squirmed and let out a sleepy moan. "Quinn…" She whimpered, face buried into the crook of Quinn's neck. She stifled a smile, her icy glare trained at Brody. "Leave, please."

"This is _my_ apartment!" Brody insisted. "She's _my_ girlfriend."

Quinn tried her best not to react to his words. "Exactly. She doesn't need a boyfriend. She needs a friend. And I am that friend."

"I haven't even seen you around before, what makes you think you're what Rachel needs?"

Santana smirked. "As much as I would love to give you a history lesson, you're giving me a headache. And for the love of god, put a shirt on."

Brody clenched his jaw and grabbed a shirt from his drawers. He said nothing as he left, the door slamming shut behind him. Quinn sighed in relief, Rachel still sleeping on top of her. Santana closed the bedroom door shut and sat on a chair not piled with clothes.

"Remember when you told me that you've always wondered what it would be like to be with a woman?" Santana asked, head cocked, a smile curling her lips. "Don't be a wuss and deny this, but… You thought about being with Rachel. Didn't you?"

Quinn ducked her head and smiled. She counted Rachel's thick eyelashes, wondered what it would be like to kiss them open, before looking back up to Santana. "What do you think?"

"I think," Santana began. "That you've always wanted her. All those years, claiming to want to make her life a living hell? Classic schoolyard bully with a crush. But if you two ever hook up, it's not going to be just sex, isn't it?"

Quinn nodded. "That's the thing with Rachel. For me, she can't be just _anything_. She always has to mean something more." She smiled, tucked a lock of hair behind Rachel's ear and sighed. "But I'm not here to win her heart or anything. I don't need her to be my girlfriend. She's the…" Quinn took a deep breath and released it in a steady hum.

"She's the love of my life. She doesn't owe me anything."

_**~tbc**_


	2. 2

**_this chapter is powered by my sickness and single-serving kitkats. _**

* * *

Quinn didn't mean to fall asleep, but with the weight of Rachel pinning her down against the comfortable bed, it was an inevitability that occurred as soon as Santana left them alone for… almost four hours now. Quinn let out a soft sigh, her arm tightening around Rachel. She glanced down to the sleeping figure, only to find out that she wasn't sleeping anymore.

"Hey." Rachel quipped, her arm wrapped tightly around Quinn's hip, her chin poised against the spot where Quinn's steady, beating heart was tucked. "I haven't slept so comfortably in weeks." Rachel smiled and buried into Quinn's neck, her lips grazing the pale neck. "Thank you so much."

Quinn swept strands of Rachel's hair off her shoulder and closed her eyes. "Don't worry about it. You need to take care of yourself, you know? In case your assumptions are true." They both glanced down at Rachel's stomach where the possibility of Rachel's child was growing. Quinn's palm grazed the soft belly, covered by a thin sleep shirt and warm from their shared body heat. She didn't realize what she was doing until Rachel's hand covered hers.

Their eyes locked, and it took all the units of energy and restraint in Quinn's body to _not_ lean in and feel heaven against her lips. Instead, she looked beyond Rachel's head. "Have you thought about it yet? About what you'll do if there really is a baby?"

Rachel sighed, her ear resting against Quinn's heart. If there was anything Quinn wanted at the moment, it was the ability to maintain a steady heartbeat. But with Rachel's proximity, she resigned herself to the rhythmic half-beats and staccato rhythms. "Not really. All I know is that if it's Brody's, he'll freak out and leave me. If it's Finn's—"

"What?" Quinn gawked, pulling away from Rachel to stare into her features. Her hair was a mess, she wore no makeup, but to Quinn, she was still the most beautiful woman. Except for the things she said. "You're telling me… You had sex with _Finn_? I thought you were with Brody?"

"I am." Rachel insisted, sitting up to face Quinn with a defiant glint in her eye. "We're in an open, modern relationship. We can be with anyone, as long as we tell each other about it."

Quinn raised her brow. "Uh huh." She kicked off the blankets and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "So you're not really dating. You just want a body in your bed, is that it?" Quinn took deep breaths, hoping to calm the rage building inside her chest. "And you slept with Finn. _Again._" She rolled her eyes and glared at Rachel, who sat in the middle of her bed. "When are you going to let him go? Rachel… You're a ship. He's an anchor. You're in New York now. Why do you keep returning to the limbo that is Finn Hudson? You're set for better things—"

"I love Finn." Rachel said, her eyes shimmering with both rage and tears. "I love Finn so much that I can't just let him go. You don't know what it's like… You don't know anything about love!"

Quinn gave pause, standing by the foot of Rachel's bed, staring at the woman she knew she loves. "Are you accusing _me_ of not knowing what love is?" Quinn asked, a laugh bubbling in her throat as she looked at Rachel in disbelief. "Are you really saying that?"

"Yes! You're this frigid girl that let her bad experiences get the best of her, preventing her from finding _real_ love." Rachel was standing before Quinn know, in a stance that Quinn fondly remembered back in the days of old, back when Rachel was the headstrong girl that would do anything to gain a solo. "I found real love, and it is with Finn. He's the love of my life—"

"Don't." Quinn murmured. She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the hardwood floors of Rachel's apartment. "Don't talk to me about the love of your life, Rachel."

"Well, it's not like you would know anything about it." Rachel spat out. "It's not like you could ever love anyone like I love Finn."

Quinn burst into laughter, her sides aching with every gasp of breath she took. "And I'm glad for that. Your refusal to let him go, to keep him in a chokehold, doesn't scream love to me. I'm not saying that you didn't love him once, a long time ago. But now, it's getting old. This hopeless back and forth… It's pathetic, because you just _can't let go._"

"I love him!"

A sigh escaped Quinn, and she leaned against the wall, arms raised up to her chest. "Loving someone is not about keeping them close, Rachel." She whispered as she took furtive steps towards the still fuming girl. "It's about trusting your capability to fall. Believe it or not, it has very little to do with the beloved, and has everything to do with the lover." Quinn smiled a tiny, minuscule ghost of a smile, as she picked up Rachel's tiny hand, still clenched into a fist.

She unwrapped Rachel's fingers slowly, one by one, until they were lax and curled around her palm. "I'm sorry. I promise I didn't mean to aggravate you. The way you love is no one's but your own. I'm not judging. I'm just... frustrated. If it makes you feel better, I won't bring it up again." At Quinn's soft tones, Rachel melted into her, cheek pressed against her chest. Quinn allowed herself to smile and wrapped her arms around the tiny girl coiled into her.

She swayed them, like tree branches amidst the autumn wind. It wasn't long until Rachel stifled a yawn against the back of her hand and wiped a sleepy tear from the corner of her eye. Quinn grinned and waddled them back to the bed, laying Rachel down first before curling in beside her.

"What do you think I should do?" Rachel asked. "Should I put the baby up for adoption? Should I keep it? W-what are my dads going to think?" She screeched, and Quinn winced. She drew circles along Rachel's lower back and hummed into the slope of her forehead. "They'll be so _disappointed_…"

"Your dads love you, Rachel." Quinn said, touching the skin that peeked out of Rachel's sleep shirt. "They'll be disappointed, yes. But not with you. They'll be disappointed that you have to face something like this, unplanned, with a guy that's not good enough for you." Her voice dropped to deathly tones, causing Rachel to look up at her with eyes sparkling with tears. "What I'm saying is… Don't tell them anything until you're really sure, okay?"

"If I have the baby and Brody leaves me…" Quinn's arms tightened around her waist and kissed the crown of her head. "I don't know what I'll do…"

"You have friends that will help you raise him or her. Kurt, Santana… Me." Rachel pulled back and stared up at Quinn's features. She cupped her sculpted jaw, and Quinn's allowed her eyelids to flutter shut. "You have me, Rachel. I promise."

She opened her eyes again, and was startled with Rachel's proximity. Their breaths, warm and sticky, lapped against their touching cheeks. Quinn bit the inside of her bottom lip, so she wouldn't dare breach the gap and kiss her. She couldn't—it's not what Rachel wanted, nor what she needed at the moment. She leaned into Rachel's hand and kissed the inside of her palm before pulling back. "Are you going to make your child take piano lessons or ballet?"

At this, Rachel sat up, smiling. "Why not both?"

Quinn laughed and shook her head. "That kid, no matter who her father is, is going to be so talented."

"She?" Rachel asked, her smile still lighting up her face.

Quinn sat up and Rachel shifted to sit in between her legs, her back against Quinn's front. Rachel leaned her head back to rest against Quinn's shoulders, while the blonde's arms slid underneath her arms to wrap around Rachel's stomach. She caressed her flesh slowly, fingertips sweeping across the pliant skin. "I just thought she'd be really cute. She'd have your nose and your eyes…" Quinn buried herself into Rachel's neck and grinned. The image of a child that looked like her mother tugged at her heart.

Rachel's palm covered the back of Quinn's hand that was on top of her belly. "I'm so glad you're here. I can't possibly do this without you."

"You're underestimating yourself. You can do this without me." Quinn said, pressing her mouth against Rachel's left temple. "But you don't have to."

"And that makes all the difference. Quinn, I…" Rachel squirmed out of Quinn's hold to turn around and face her, hands planted on either side of Quinn's body. She swallowed hard and tried not to pull Rachel into an embrace. Quinn watched Rachel lick the corner of her lips; saw the way her eyes darted to her mouth. Rachel was leaning in, millimeter by millimeter, when Santana burst in through the door. Both Quinn and Rachel yelped, the smaller girl falling face first into Quinn's arms.

"I heard screaming." Santana said with a pointed look directed at Quinn. "Then laughing, and then nothing. I swore Quinn killed you, Rachel. I guess not."

"Don't be too disappointed." Rachel laughed as she got off of Quinn. She felt a rush of cold air at the distance, and Quinn couldn't help but wish for more time alone with Rachel. However, she recovered quickly and stood up alongside her friends. "How about we get some pizza?" Rachel asked them. "It's the least I can do for you, Quinn. You travelled all this way for me, after all."

Quinn and Santana watched her walk out to the living room as she placed an online order for the pizza. "How is she holding up?" Santana murmured, her arms crossed against her chest.

"She's warming up to the fact of having a baby." Quinn whispered. "It doesn't seem so scary now, I think. I told her she has us, and I guess it's the possibility of everyone leaving her behind is what's so frightening for her in the first place."

"But you won't let that happen." Santana reaffirmed with a nod. "You should just tell her, y'know."

At this, Quinn laughed and shook her head. "No way. She doesn't need me messing anything up. Everything is stressful enough as it is, Santana. Add my feelings to the mix? It's going to be hectic."

"That's where you're wrong, Fabgay." Santana hummed as they watched Rachel do some stretches. "It's never the feelings that mess us up. It's the people. Do you really think Rachel is the kind to make you feel awkward for liking her the way you do?"

"No." Quinn admitted, smiling at Rachel as she made herself some tea. "But I told you. I'm not here to be her girlfriend, or to win her over, or to confess my undying love. I'm here for her, in the most self-sacrificing sense of the word."

Santana eyed Quinn in silent observation before releasing a sigh. "You really need to know when it's okay to be selfish." She said, before leaving Quinn to grab a drink from the fridge.

Quinn stood still, watching the two, probably the most important, women in her life. Santana, the one who allowed her the firsthand experiences of being with a woman, and Rachel. Rachel, Quinn's greatest puzzle, her number one muse. With every turn of phrase, every stuttered syllable about romance… It was about Rachel. And Quinn knew it.

Maybe, Santana was right. Maybe this was something she should be selfish with.

Quinn disposed the thoughts in the back of her head for the time being as the pizza arrived. The three of them piled onto the couch, Rachel in the middle, her legs sprawled on top of Quinn's lap as she leaned against Santana. They ate as a movie played on the television. "Where do you want to sleep tonight?" Rachel asked, washing down the mouthful of pizza with a glass of ginger ale. "The sofa bed is good for two, I think."

"Are you still going on about me having sex with Quinn?" Santana asked with a roll of her eyes. "Rachel, it was a one-time thing, okay? We agreed on it."

Rachel turned to Quinn, and before she could say anything, Quinn nodded. "She's right. We only did it once—"

"Well, more like twice cuz we all know you can't resist this—"

"Oh shut up, I wasn't the only one screaming—"

Rachel clapped her hands over her ears and began to hum. "I don't want to hear it anymore!"

Santana smirked, and raised her brow. "Why? Are you jealous that Quinn got all up on this, or is it vice versa?"

Quinn knew what Santana was doing, and she knew better than to fight against it. But when Rachel blushed, and ducked her head, she looked at Santana in disbelief, who leaned back and smirked at her handiwork. "I-it's not that—I just—I mean, Quinn is a pretty girl, and when you're a teenager, your mind tends to wander—"

"You're still a teenager, you're only eighteen. Is your mind wandering _now_?" Santana drawled, obviously enjoying herself. Quinn rubbed Rachel's back, noticing how she froze at her touch. She continued tracing circles against her skin until Rachel melted into her embrace.

"She's just teasing, you don't have to answer her." Quinn said, making a face at Santana who just laughed and left them to go to the bathroom. Rachel actively avoided Quinn's gaze, and Quinn couldn't help but think that Santana had gone too far.

"How was it? With her, I mean… Don't go into details, but…"

Quinn shifted her legs underneath Rachel's and started to rub the flesh on Rachel's feet. "It was enlightening, I suppose. It was an experiment, and like most experiments, you're supposed to have a hypothesis. Mine was, I'll probably enjoy it, because let's face it. Girls are amazing."

Rachel smiled and leaned against the back of the couch as she watched Quinn. "My conclusion is this. If I'm to ever have sex with a woman again, it won't be a one-night stand. It would be with someone—a woman whose hand I can hold through scary movies, or while we're waiting in line to get coffee in the morning. It will be with a woman who is willing to trace back my sorrows with her fingertips until she finds the root of my tears. And that's when she'll replace my reason to cry with a reason to smile." Quinn said quietly, looking beyond Rachel's head so she wouldn't lose herself in those features she often dreamed of. Those eyes, that nose, those lips. Quinn shook her head to clear her thoughts before looking right back at Rachel, who was watching her with intent. "What?"

"Stay with me tonight. …Please."

Her voice was a soft, cracked, murmur that tugged at Quinn's stomach. She couldn't think of anything to say but a low, resounding—

"Yes."


	3. 3

_**this final chapter was powered by... my feels mostly.**_

* * *

Shadows melted by the warm dusk sun pooled on the floor and along the walls of Rachel's room. Quinn's hand, clasped in Rachel's grip, was clammy and heated. A few minutes ago, after Santana left them in peace, Quinn and Rachel cleaned the pizza boxes and washed the dishes in utmost silence. Awkward it was not, but for Quinn, her thoughts were whizzing past her before she could even comprehend them. As she dried and stacked the dishes up on the shelves, Rachel combed her fingers through her hair in a moment of insecurity. Quinn smiled to herself and dried her hands on the dishcloth before turning to face Rachel.

She clasped their hands together and brought Rachel's arms up to wrap around her neck, her palms resting on the curve of her hip. "Why do you look so worried?"

"I'm not." Rachel insisted, her arms tightening around Quinn's neck. Their fronts pressed together, their warm bodies radiating. "It's just… I don't know what to do now. It's quiet, and you're here, and I don't know if I should freak out or be giddy."

Quinn laughed and allowed her hands to sweep up the curve of Rachel's back, to cup her cheeks. "There's nothing to be afraid of. It's just me. I'm telling myself it's just you, but here." She took Rachel's small hand and pressed it to her chest. Inside, her heart was rapid and powerful as it rocked against her ribcage. Rachel's eyes widened, and Quinn offered her an assuring smile. "We both need to calm down, don't you think?"

Rachel smiled and nodded, her hand still flat against Quinn's heart. Quinn noticed the way Rachel's breathing seemed to slow down, as if _her_ heartbeat calmed her down. At this thought, Quinn pulled Rachel closer and gathered her in a hug. Rachel melted into her further.

"Let's go to your room." Quinn husked, pulling back just enough to see the light reflect in Rachel's eyes. She nodded and clasped Quinn's hand in her own, dragging her down the hallway.

And now, they stood in the middle of the darkened room, with the sun seen through the cracks of the curtains, giving the room enough faint light for Quinn to see the way Rachel's features, her fingers latched around hers. For a second, Rachel looked as if she was about to lean in, but instead, she pulled back and clamped her hand over her mouth. "I should brush my teeth."

The tension, if there ever was any, dispersed itself as Quinn laughed and pulled away. "You're right. And I should clean up a bit and shower."

"You can go ahead, if you want." Rachel offered.

"I think I will, thank you." Quinn squeezed Rachel's hand once before taking her overnight bag from the living room. She grabbed her clothes, her toothbrush, and her towel. She tried not to spend too much time thinking in the shower, which was something she tended to do. She got out, dried herself, and brushed her teeth. Dressed in plaid pajama pants and a loose white shirt, Quinn stepped out of the bathroom and returned to Rachel's bedroom.

Rachel walked past her, still silent but smiling, so she could use the bathroom. Quinn finished drying her hair and went to lay down on the bed, legs stretched out before her, her back against the headboard. She took that time to check any mail from professors. Finding none, she eased deeper into the bed and closed her eyes. Quinn needed to think. She needed to calm down in case her heart decided to beat right out of her chest. In her head, she continued to chant that 'this is only Rachel', but the fact that it was Rachel drove her insane.

It wasn't as if anything was meant to happen; as if the cosmos intended for them to be together at this very moment in time. No, Quinn was not for celestial reasoning. Rachel was as real as the bed beneath Quinn, even though she often made Quinn feel superhuman.

Soft footsteps stirred Quinn away from her thoughts. She opened her eyes and saw possibly one of the most beautiful sights known to man. Rachel, her hair damp and curled, dressed in a pair of shorts and a baggy New York shirt that reached her mid-thigh. The light from the hallway burst into the dark room, dispelling shards of light and illuminating Rachel in ways that Quinn only saw in her dreams.

She sat up and dared to stare. Rachel bit her lip and took furtive steps towards Quinn. Her pale hand reached out and met soft skin. Quinn's legs swung off the bed and parted, so Rachel could slide in between them and cradle her blonde head in her arms. Quinn breathed in her scent, the very sensation of Rachel's plush body pressed into hers.

This was home. This, being held in Rachel's arms. The crook of her arm, the faint scent of cinnamon on her skin, and her heartbeat. Quinn would do anything and everything to have this real estate.

She pulled back and traced Rachel's tentative features with her eyes. "Are you still nervous?" Quinn murmured, arms curled around her hips. She nodded. Quinn smiled and pulled Rachel into bed with her. "Why?"

"I'm scared… that if I do something wrong, all of this would end." Rachel admitted. Their legs entangled underneath the duvet, as if they do not want the other to go. "I know you're only here because Santana asked you—"

"You're wrong." Quinn interrupted. She picked up Rachel's hand as they lay down on the bed, facing each other. "I told you. I'm here for you, not because Santana asked me to. Not because I have feelings for you. But because you and I? We're friends, Rachel. You know that. But you're letting this thing between me and Santana prevent you from actually understanding that."

Rachel stared at Quinn. "Wait, did I hear you correctly? You said—you have feelings for me?"

Quinn's smile immediately turned sheepish. "You heard that, huh?" She glanced at the wall behind Rachel, knowing that if her eyes stayed on her features, she would see disappointment, and perhaps, something akin to disgust. Quinn couldn't know. She was not brave enough for this. "Look—"

That was when Quinn decided to take a chance and look into those eyes that caused her heart rate to pick up. She did not see the things she expected, for in Rachel's eyes, she saw a dream coming to life. In her eyes, Quinn saw the initial stirrings of happiness, something so close yet so far away. In her eyes, Quinn saw acceptance, and possibly, a reciprocation of the purest form. One that has no expectations.

"Quinn… I probably don't deserve you. Not after how blind I've been." Rachel sniffed, and Quinn couldn't help but smile. She pulled the girl closer to her and curled her arm around her hip. In her arms, Rachel was safe from everything, but her love. "And if this baby is real, then… I don't think I'm good enough for you!"

A soft hum left Quinn's throat as she tucked Rachel's head underneath her chin. "You don't have to be good enough for me, Rachel. All you need to be is you. Be my little star, the one who leads me where I need to be. Which is right here." She tipped Rachel's chin upwards and rested their foreheads together. Their breaths mingled, a mix of mint and spice and thick emotion. Quinn watched Rachel's eyelids flutter, noticed the way her throat bobbed and her lips parted. "Look, I know you have a boyfriend, and I shouldn't even be here with you because of the way that I feel."

She cupped Rachel's cheek, her nose brushing against her soft cheeks. "But I would do anything for you. I'd get into car crashes, sword fights, and forest fires for you. I'd wrestle with the hand of god if it means I get to hold you." At this, Quinn pulled her closer, and allowed her mouth to taste just a sliver of Rachel's skin. "It doesn't matter to me if you return my affections. I…" She took a deep breath, her hazel eyes meeting pools of starlight and galaxies. "I love you. And I'm not saying that to make you feel better. I'm saying that because I'm just an honest girl who knows how and when to use her words."

Rachel was smiling, her eyes watery with unshed tears that threatened to fall. The sight was exponentially beautiful that Quinn felt that there was nothing left for her to say. "I'm so happy I can't breathe…" She gasped. Quinn chuckled and rubbed her back slowly and traced spirals along Rachel's exposed skin. "At first I didn't know if I love you, but… I'm starting to think that I always have. And now… It's like I'm on my way to falling all over again. Maybe high school wasn't really about me and Finn. Maybe it's been about you and me all along."

Quinn couldn't help the grin that split her cheeks. "Rachel Berry," she murmured, the stillness of the night was overpowered by her strong, pumping heart. "Will you allow me to kiss you?" The pad of Quinn's thumb traced the outline of Rachel's bottom lip. She could already taste her. Quinn heard Rachel's breath quicken and felt her shift her legs as if to squirm closer to her.

"Please…" Rachel husked, and the anticipation spiked in Quinn's veins. "Kiss me, Quinn Fabray."

Smiles split their lips, and in the blur of space and time, they kissed.

Finally, _finally, __**finally**_.

If Quinn's dreams had a flavour, they would taste exactly like this. If her happiness had a texture, it would feel exactly like this. And if time could stop just for two people, it would stop for Rachel and Quinn, if only they could stay like this for longer. For an eternity, maybe.

Quinn sampled Rachel's mouth like one would with her first shot of alcohol. She licked Rachel's plump lips before drinking her in. All of her, all at once. Soft, full lips. Rachel's sticky breath. The taste of the next one hundred years of Quinn's life, all wrapped in one. Her toes curled as warmth spread across her body. Quinn pulled away just enough to keep their mouths brushing together. "God…" She gasped. "How do I even begin to describe that?"

A devilish smirk for such an angel spread across Rachel's mouth. She threw her leg over Quinn's hip and rolled them over so that she was on top. A soft grunt came from Quinn's throat, but it was immediately replaced by a moan. "Don't." Rachel murmured. "Not yet, at least. That's just the first of many, and I think…" Her fingers curled around a lock of blonde hair. "It might be too soon to have a conclusion. I thought you're experimenting?"

Quinn shook her head, her palm flattening against the swell of Rachel's hips. "Rachel… You have never been and will never be a hypothesis. You're my desired outcome; the reason why I want to be sure; the foundation of my experiments and calculations." Her hands slipped underneath Rachel's baggy shirt so she could feel the plush softness of the girl above her. Quinn craned her neck and smiled against the moist mouth of Rachel. "Do you think I can finally say I have love down to a science, now that I have you?"

At this, Rachel chuckled and pressed her face against Quinn's cheek. "You're the only one I've ever known who can make science sound so romantic."

Quinn scrunched her nose and laughed. "If you think that's romantic, you haven't really heard anything yet."

"Oh, is that so? In that case… I guess I just have to stick around, won't I?" Rachel said, her mouth hovering directly above Quinn's, barely making contact. "You don't mind, right?"

"Hell no." Quinn whispered. "Stick around for as long as you want."

At some point in the night, Rachel and Quinn decided that it was a good idea to go to sleep. Curled in warmth and the elatedness brought forth by their steady, beating hearts, Quinn closed her eyes for the first time in years, completely happy. For those hours, they kissed until their lips were raw, and spoke until their words slurred. Quinn felt no loss when it came to losing her consciousness because she knew that _this _mind-numbing happiness was what she would wake up to.

And when she woke up she witnessed the sight of Rachel's disheveled hair, drool along her chin, her arm slung across Quinn's stomach. If she didn't have to pee, Quinn would have been content to just lay there and watch. She squirmed out of Rachel's grip that only tightened as she stirred. "Where are you going?" She demanded, soft and sleepy, against Quinn's arm.

"I need to use the bathroom," she whispered, combing her fingers through thick locks. "Don't worry, go back to sleep."

Rachel shook her head and sat up, rubbing her eyes free of sleep. "I have a doctor's appointment later, to see if the tests were accurate. I just want to know if you'd go with me."

Quinn crawled over to Rachel and nudged her nose with hers. "What did I tell you last night? If I'm what you need, then I'll gladly do anything for you. You know that. Stop questioning it, or else I'll just have to remind you again," she kissed Rachel's forehead. "And again," her right cheek. "And again," her left cheek. "And again." She finished, murmuring the words against Rachel's mouth.

They stumbled out of Rachel's bedroom together in a fit of giggles, but the sight of Brody in the middle of the apartment was enough to burst the dirigible of their happiness in one, clean glare. Santana was not yet awake, and Kurt was nowhere in sight. It was just the three of them, standing in front of one another.

"So, what. Are you leaving me for a chick?" Brody demanded, arms crossed over his chest. "Rachel, I'm the best you'll ever have—"

"Brody, I might be pregnant."

"W-what?" His eyes widened, and Quinn could see the obvious fear, the evident rejection in his eyes. "Is it mine?"

"We don't know yet." Rachel said, her arms curling around her frame. She needed to be held, Quinn knew, but she didn't want to provoke Brody. Instead, her palm rested against the small of her back. A small gesture, but it was enough to lessen the tension in Rachel's body. "If you want anything to do with it—"

"I don't." Brody spat, shaking his head. "Fuck, Rachel. I don't even want to be a dad. I've never seen myself as one, especially not parenting a kid with you—"

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Then just quit while you're ahead." She growled. "C'mon, I'll even help you pack."

Brody narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. "Fine. But just so you know, you'll never be as _good_ as me." He pushed in between Quinn and Rachel and disappeared behind the door so that he could, Quinn assumed, pack his things. Beside her, Rachel murmured something she didn't hear.

"What was that?"

"I said," she took a deep breath and smiled at Quinn. "You're not as good as him. You're infinitely better."

They saw Brody off with a smile, despite his constant insistence that he was better than the collective sum of Rachel's romantic endeavours. By the third time he tried to assert it, they stopped listening and focused on reading the morning paper. As soon as Brody left, they got dressed to head to the doctor's office. The waiting area was pristine and smelled faintly of rubbing alcohol.

"The doctor will see you now," the nurse said in a clipped tone. "You're just in time and since it's not busy today…"

Quinn held Rachel's hand as they entered the office where the doctor was sitting. She looked at them over the rims of her eyeglasses before removing them. "I'm Doctor Lewis, but you can call me Lauren." She said, offering her hand to Rachel, then to Quinn. "I have Miss Berry's chart and…" Lauren hummed and read through the clipboard quickly. "You want an ultrasound to check if you're pregnant or not." She stated rather than ask. Her eyes locked with Quinn's, before she scribbled something on the paper. "Alright, please sit."

Helping Rachel up on the high perch, Quinn didn't bother letting go of Rachel's hand. "You'll be fine." She promised, despite her lack of power to do so. She kissed Rachel's knuckles and smiled at her as Lauren rolled over on her stool. She set up the ultrasound, apologising when Rachel winced. Silence filled the room, only to be filled by the ambient whirring of the machine.

"You said you had assumptions that you're pregnant?" Lauren asked as she manipulated the probe gently. "Did you take pregnancy tests?"

"Y-yes…" Rachel swallowed hard, her eyes locked on the monitor. Her hand was tight around Quinn's, and she trembled ever so slightly, but it was enough for Quinn to notice.

Lauren removed the probe and wiped away Rachel's flat belly. "You can rest easy. It was just a false positive. Were you stressed or worried about anything in particular when you took the test?"

Rachel nodded and looked up at Quinn. "I'm not pregnant…" She whispered, her hand resting over her stomach. "Oh my god, I'm not pregnant."

Smiling at her relief, Quinn pecked her forehead and thanked the doctor. "That's what I actually told her, but thank you for reassuring us—for reassuring her." She corrected herself. The smiling doctor simply shrugged.

"If symptoms start appearing, do contact me immediately."

Quinn and Rachel nodded and thanked the doctor once again. They left the clinic, the fresh spring breeze of New York whistling past them as they walked with a spring in their step. "If I'm being honest, I almost resigned myself to the fact that I do, in fact, have a kid inside me." Rachel admitted, her arm curled around Quinn's bicep as they walked towards home. "Because you made everything seem so… Positive."

"You may not be pregnant, and those tests may be false," Quinn said. "But I'm grateful for it because then... I got the chance to tell you my truths."

Rachel smiled and pulled Quinn to stop walking. They stood in the middle of the sidewalk, New York stirring behind, within, and around them. She cupped Quinn's cheek and rose to the tips of her toes for a kiss that not only knocked Quinn's air out of her lungs, but it also filled her with ringing bells and signs of the world renewed.

This was her life now. Kisses in the middle of the city, Rachel's tiny hand in hers.

Quinn wouldn't trade it for anything else.

**_~end_**


End file.
